With another hot summer forecast, many gardeners are already asking themselves what they will do if hosepipe bans are enforced. How will they continue to keep their plants, vegetables and lawns healthy in the face of the scorching temperatures we had last summer (2022)?
In our previous post here, we looked at why watering cans or hosepipes are not the best means of watering a garden under any circumstances and how drip irrigation systems can save water, time and physical labour, giving you the opportunity to sit back and actually enjoy your garden. But, did you know that a drip irrigation system can beat the hosepipe ban?
Using drip irrigation systems to beat hosepipe bans
Last summer (2022) was the hottest on record. We hit 40 degrees in the UK for the first time. It was an absolute scorcher and it decimated gardens. Gardeners either lost their lovingly tended plants or spent hours with watering cans. As well as being quite back breaking work, watering this way is not always practical for many people, especially if you’re working or on holiday and away.
So, a potential solution to this is installing a drip irrigation system which, if it’s set up correctly, is exempt from hosepipe bans. The reason for this is that drip irrigation is very, very efficient. It’s about twice as efficient in terms of water consumption as traditional watering methods from a hose or a watering can, meaning you can cut water usage by up to 50%. Drip irrigation systems have been used by professional growers for decades for this very reason.
And, while they might sound very expensive, they’re not. A drip irrigation kit for a modest vegetable patch, for example, will cost around about £50. You will also need a water supply kit, about £30, and a timer – essential to beat the hosepipe ban – which is about £25.
So for around about the £100 mark, you can get all the kit you need. The total cost obviously depends greatly on the size of the garden or the vegetable patch you’re watering but, as a guide, our DIY Vegetable Drip Irrigation Kit can serve a vegetable patch up to 50m2.
Also, installation is relatively simple. Any keen amateur could do it. You don’t need to be a specialist to do this. And any standard garden contractor, you can get them to do it for you if you want. You don’t need a PHD in irrigation to do this!
So, what do you need to beat the hosepipe ban?
You need a drip irrigation kit, which will be the drip line, drip tape or drip emitters. You need a water timer to make sure that it’s timed to go on and off. And you need a pressure regulator to make sure the flow is consistent. With those elements in place, your garden will be watered automatically, much more efficiently and hosepipe ban concerns will be a thing of the past!
To discover more about drip irrigation systems see our video on Beating the Hosepipe Ban:
View our DIY Drip Irrigation Kits here.
